Turbine

ABSTRACT

A turbine comprising an outer housing, a rotary casing in the housing and having an inner peripheral surface carrying circumferentially spaced turbine blades, and a radial arm within the rotary casing terminating in a circumferentially oriented nozzle for directing a jet of power fluid under pressure at the turbine blades. The spent power fluid escapes through passages in one end wall of the rotary casing and produces a reactive effect supplementing the nozzle and turbine blade effect. Thus, the invention provides a combination impulse and reaction turbine.

United States Patent 11 1 Erickson 5] Dec. 16, 1975 TURBINE 3,611,81410/1971 Haack 74/5 Inventor: J W. on Huntington 3,758,223 9/1973 Eskell415/80 Bea h, C l'f. c Primary Examiner-C. J. Husar [73] Ass1gnee: Kobe,Inc., Huntington Park, Calif. Assistant Examiner-L. J. Casaregola [22]Filed: Jan. 2, 1974 Attorney, Agent, or FirmChristie, Parker & Hale [21]Appl. No.: 430,150 ABSTRACT i A turbine comprising an outer housing, arotary casing i :,gg in the housing and having an inner peripheralsurface [58 d 1 81 g 500 carrying circumferentially spaced turbineblades, and 1 0 arc 1 a radial arm within the rotary casing terminatingin a 1 l circumferentially oriented nozzle for directing a jet of powerfluid under pressure at the turbine blades. The [56] References cuedspent power fluid escapes through passages in one end UNITED STATESPATENTS wall of the rotary casing and produces a reactive ef- 305,5759/1884 Culver 415/80 fect supplementing the nozzle and turbine blade ef-2,060,414 11/1936 Fladeland 415/80 feet. Thus, the invention provides acombination im- 3,049,081 8/1962 Singlemann 415/89 pulse d reaction bi3,324,023 5/1968 King 415/89 3,384,023 5/1968 Kin 415/89 7 Claims, 3Drawing Figures Ufi. Patam Dec. 16,1975 SheetlofZ 3,926,534

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US. Patent Dec. 16, 1975 Sheet 2 of2 3,926,534

TURBINE BACKGROUND OF INVENTION The present invention relates in generalto a turbine and, more particularly, to a combination impulse andreaction turbine.

Still more particularly, the present invention relates to aturbinehaving some of the characteristics of a pitot pump of the generaltype shown, for example, in US. Pat. No. 3,384,024, granted May 21, 1968to William L. King.

SUMMARY AND OBJECTS OF INVENTION The primary object of the invention isto provide a turbine which, in a general sense, comprises a pitot pumpoperating as a turbine, i.e., which comprises a pitot pump provided onthe inner periphery of its rotary casing with circumferentially spacedturbine blades against which a jet of power fluid, liquid or gas, underpressure is directed by a nozzle means comprising essentially the pitottube of a conventional pitot pump.

More particularly, the invention may be summarized as including, and animportant object of the invention is to provide a turbine whichincludes: an outer housing having axially spaced ends and "having aninlet for power fluid under pressure in one of the ends thereof; arotary casing in the housing and rotatable about the axis thereof andhaving axially spaced ends; the casing having an inner peripheralsurface carrying circumferentially spaced turbine blades; a stationarygenerally radial arm within the casing and carried by the housing; thearm having a generally radial passage therein; the arm having an inletat its inner end in communication with the inner end of the radialpassage; inlet passage means connecting the inlet in the arm to theinlet in the one end of the housing; nozzle means at the outer end ofthe arm, and communicating with the outer end of the radial passage, fordirecting a jet of power fluid under pressure at the turbine blades; anddischarge means for discharging spent power fluid from the eas- Theinvention may be further summarized as including, and another importantobject is to provide a turbine wherein the aforementioned dischargemeans includes: circumferentially spaced discharge passages in one ofthe ends of the casing and having outer ends in communication with theinterior of the casing adjacent the inner peripheral surface thereof; anoutlet in the housing; and discharge passage means connecting the innerends of the discharge passages to the outlet in the housing. Thesedischarge passages recover the energy of the pressure at the peripheryof the rotating casing. Approximately half the energy conversion occursin the blading and half in the turbine discharge passages.

With the foregoing construction, a combination impulse and reactionturbine results, the impulse effect being provided by the nozzle meansacting on the turbine blades, and the reaction effect being provided bythe spent power fluid, which is still under substantial pressure,flowing through the discharge passages in one end of the rotary casing.

The invention also has the advantage of higher efficiency due to thelower rotor drag, compared to other turbines, resulting from rotatingthe outer surface of the rotary casing in a reduced density fluidcompared to the power fluid. In the case of liquid power fluids, therotating casing rotates in a gas such as air. In the a case of gases orvapors, the casing rotates in a vacuum. The well-known Pelton wheelturbine rotor does rotate in a reduced density fluid, but requires anatmospheric pressure liquid discharge to obtain this condition. Incertain energy recovery applications it is desirable to operate theturbine with a relatively high discharge pressure which is not possiblewith the Pelton turbine. In operation on water with the space around therotor filled with air, the density difference will be 800 to 1. Whenoperating on steam, with the space around the rotating casing filledwith condensed steam, the vacuum density will be in the order of to I.As rotor friction losses vary approximately with the density of thesurrounding fluid, it can be appreciated how effective this densityreduction on the outside of the rotating casing will be in reducinglosses and increasing efficiency.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a constructionwherein the turbine blades are so shaped as to deflect the spent powerfluid toward the outer ends of the discharge passages.

Yet another object is to provide a turbine wherein the inlet and theoutlet in the housing are in the same end thereof, with the inletlocated on the axis of rotation of the rotary casing, and with theoutlet offset radially from the inlet. In this connection, other objectsare to provide a construction wherein the inlet passage means is coaxialwith the rotary casing, and wherein the discharge means includes anannular portion encircling the inlet passage means, and another portionconnecting such annular portion to the outlet in the housing.

The foregoing objects, advantages, features and re sults of the presentinvention, together with various other objects, advantages, features andresults thereof which will be evident to those skilled in the turbineart in the light of this disclosure, may be achieved with the exemplaryembodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings anddescribed in detail hereinafter.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENT OF INVENTIONThe turbine of the invention is designated generally by the numeral 10and includes an outer housing 12 shown as provided with a supportingbase 14 and provided with axially spaced ends 16 and 18. Within theouter housing 12, in a sealed, evacuable, rotary casing space 19, is arotary casing 20 having axially spaced ends 22 and 24 respectivelyadjacent the housing ends 16 and 18, the casing being supported bybearings 26 and 28.

Carried by the housing end 16, and coaxial with the housing 12 in therotary casing 20, is a tubular shaft 30 which communicates at its outerend with an inlet port 32 for high pressure operating fluid, the tubularshaft providing an inlet passage means 34 in communication with theinlet port. Carried by the inner end of the tubular shaft 30, which isstationary, is a radial pitot arm or tube 36 having a radial passage 38communicating at its inner, inlet end with the inlet passage means 34.The pitot arm 36 terminates at its outer end in a head 40 which issimilar to a pitot head, but which acts instead as a nozzle means 42 fordirecting a jet 44, FlG. 2, of operating fluid under pressuretangentially of the inner periphery of the rotary casing 20.

The inner peripheral surface of the rotary casing is provided withcircumferentially spaced turbine blades or vanes 46 the configuration ofwhich will be clear from FIG. 3 of the drawings. The curvature andangulation of the blades 46 is such that the deflected jet 44 isdirected toward the casing end 22 and, more specifically, toward theinlet ends 48 of radial discharge passages 50 in the casing end 22. Theinner ends of the discharge passage 50 communicate with an annulardischarge passage 52 which surrounds the tubular shaft 30, as best shownin FIG. 1, and which communicates with a discharge chamber 54 leading toa discharge port 56. The discharge passages 50, the annular dischargepassage 52, the discharge chamber 54 and the discharge port 56constitute a discharge means for discharging spent power fluid from therotary casing 20, a suitable seal assembly 58 being provided to preventleakage.

It will be apparent that the foregoing construction provides acombination impulse and reaction turbine. More particularly, the impulseeffect is achieved by the jet 44 from the nozzle means 42 acting on theturbine blades 46, which deflect the jet toward the circumferentiallyspaced inlet ends 48 of the discharge passages 50. The partially spentoperating fluid flowing inwardly through the discharge passages 50,which partially spent operating fluid is still under substantialpressure, produces a reaction effect assisting the impulse effectproduced by the nozzle means 42 and turbine blades 46. In other words,both the impulse and reaction effects act in the same direction, viz.,the counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

As previously indicated, the rotary casing space 19 is sealed, thisbeing accomplished by vacuum seals 60. Rotating the casing 20 in thesealed space 19, filled with a reduced density fluid compared to thepower fluid, achieves the important advantages hereinbefore discussed.

Although an exemplary embodiment of the invention has been disclosed forillustrative purposes, it will be understood that various changes,modifications and substitutions may be incorporated in such embodimentwithout departing from the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim as my invention:

1. in a turbine, the combination of:

a. an outer housing having axially spaced ends and having an inlet forpower fluid under pressure in one of said ends thereof;

b. a rotary casing in said housing and rotatable about the axis thereofand having axially spaced ends;

c. said casing having an inner peripheral surface carryingcircumferentially spaced turbine blades;

d. a stationary, generally radial arm within said casing and carried bysaid housing;

e. said arm having a generally radial passage therein;

f. said arm having an inlet at its inner end in communication with theinner end of said radial passage;

g. inlet passage means connecting said inlet in said arm to said inletin said one end of said housing;

h. nozzle means at the outer end of said arm, and

communicating with the outer end of said radial passage, for directing ajet of power fluid under pressure at said turbine blades;

. circumferentially spaced discharge passages in one of said ends ofsaid casing and having outer ends in communication with the interior ofsaid casing adjacent said inner peripheral surface thereof;

j. an outlet in said housing; and

k. discharge passage means connecting the inner ends of said dischargepassages to said outlet in said housing.

2. A turbine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said turbine blades are soshaped as to deflect the spent power fluid toward said outer ends ofsaid discharge passages.

3. A turbine according to claim 1 wherein said outlet in said housing isin said one end thereof.

4. A turbine as defined in claim 3 wherein said discharge passage meansincludes an annular portion encircling said inlet passage means.

5. A turbine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said inlet in said housingis located on the axis of said housing and said outlet in said housingis ofiset radially from said inlet therein.

6. A turbine according to claim 5 wherein'said discharge passage meansincludes a portion connecting said annular portion to said outlet insaid housing.

7. A turbine as defined in claim 1 wherein said housing provides asealed, evacuable space in which said casing rotates.

1. In a turbine, the combination of: a. an outer housing having axiallyspaced ends and having an inlet for power fluid under pressure in one ofsaid ends thereof; b. a rotary casing in said housing and rotatableabout the axis thereof and having axially spaced ends; c. said casinghaving an inner peripheral surface carrying circumferentially spacedturbine blades; d. a stationary, generally radial arm within said casingand carried by said housing; e. said arm having a generally radialpassage therein; f. said arm having an inlet at its inner end incommunication with the inner end of said radial passage; g. inletpassage means connecting said inlet in said arm to said inlet in saidone end of said housing; h. nozzle means at the outer end of said arm,and communicating with the outer end of said radial passage, fordirecting a jet of power fluid under pressure at said turbine blades; i.circumferentially spaced discharge passages in one of said ends of saidcasing and having outer ends in communication with the interior of saidcasing adjacent said inner peripheral surface thereof; j. an outlet insaid housing; and k. discharge passage means connecting the inner endsof said discharge passages to said outlet in said housing.
 2. A turbineas set forth in claim 1 wherein said turbine blades are so shaped as todeflect the spent power fluid toward said outer ends of said dischargepassages.
 3. A turbine according to claim 1 wherein said outlet in saidhousing is in said one end thereof.
 4. A turbine as defined in claim 3wherein said discharge passage means includes an annular portionencircling said inlet passage means.
 5. A turbine as set forth in claim4 wherein said inlet in said housing is located on the axis of saidhousing and said outlet in said housing is offset radially from saidinlet therein.
 6. A turbine according to claim 5 wherein said dischargepassage means includes a portion connecting said annular portion to saidoutlet in said housing.
 7. A turbine as defined in claim 1 wherein saidhousing provides a sealed, evacuable space in which said casing rotates.